Cleveland: Doubleheader preview

KASEMETS SEASON BEGINS TO TAKE FLIGHT AS TOYOTA ATLANTIC SERIES ARRIVES
IN CLEVELAND FOR DOUBLE DIP AT AIRPORT CIRCUIT
INDIANAPOLIS (June 22, 2005) -- As the cars of the Toyota Atlantic
Championship Presented by Yokohama begin arriving in ...

KASEMETS SEASON BEGINS TO TAKE FLIGHT AS TOYOTA ATLANTIC SERIES ARRIVES
IN CLEVELAND FOR DOUBLE DIP AT AIRPORT CIRCUIT

INDIANAPOLIS (June 22, 2005) -- As the cars of the Toyota Atlantic
Championship Presented by Yokohama begin arriving in Cleveland for this
weekend's doubleheader of racing action on the Burke Lakefront
Airport road circuit, it should be noted that no driver is flying higher
in the series than new Atlantic point leader Tonis Kasemets (#6 Flexovit
Abrasives/MK ind./TMI/Redline Oil).

After winning his first pole position and earning his first two Atlantic
wins while sweeping both races last weekend at Portland International
Raceway, Kasemets has soared above the competition and taken command of
the championship lead. The second-year driver, who competes for Dan Cobb
Racing/Team Tonis, has asserted himself at a key time in the 2005
Atlantic season and with three consecutive podium finishes, he carries a
six-point advantage in the season-long pursuit of the series crown
heading into this weekend's two races on the wide-open, 2.106-mile
Cleveland track.

There's no question that the Estonian-born Kasemets has momentum on
his side as he readies himself for Rounds 5 and 6 -- the
BOSPoker.com Toyota Atlantic Grand Prix of Cleveland -- on Saturday
and Sunday, and the second-year racer will also have experience riding
along with him in the cockpit. Kasemets raced at Cleveland last year,
recording a ninth-place finish as one of his three top-10 results among
his six Atlantic starts in 2004.

But, despite a rookie-dominated field that will feature no less than 13
first-year drivers this weekend, Kasemets isn't the only one who
knows how to handle the fast and bumpy airport tarmac. At least seven
drivers expected to compete in Cleveland have run at the venue before and
a couple of current Atlantic competitors have enjoyed success at the
unique circuit.

Charles Zwolsman (#11 Condor Motorsports) of the Netherlands isn't
one of the drivers that has Cleveland racing experience under his belt
entering the weekend, but he'll be a threat just the same. The
impressive, but unassuming, series rookie has performed well in each of
the first three venues where the Atlantics have raced this season,
despite his lack of knowledge of the courses. He recorded three straight
podiums to begin the year, while grabbing the lead in the championship
chase, and he continues to be a formidable figure on track despite
suffering his worst result of the season in the last of the two races in
Portland. Zwolsman finished eighth mainly due to mechanical problems that
arose from an on-track incident early in the race. He enters Cleveland
ranked second in points behind Kasemets and he knows that he can't
let his more experienced rival build on the momentum he established in
Portland.

If it weren't for the outstanding early-season performances
established by Kasemets and Zwolsman, Canadian rookie Antoine Bessette
(#3 Unik Auto Design) might be the driver leading the way heading into
Cleveland. The St. Bruno, Quebec native has enjoyed top-five finishes in
all four events this season for Polestar Racing Group, headquartered just
down the road from Cleveland in Chardon, Ohio. Bessette has quietly
remained in the championship picture, just 13 points behind Kasemets
entering this weekend, and Cleveland could be the place that the
promising young driver begins to make some noise. He did compete at Burke
Lakefront Airport in 2003 in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, and even though
his race ended on the first lap after contact with another competitor
that year, he is familiar with the circuit and the physical toll it takes
on drivers.

After recording her second podium result in four races to begin the
'05 campaign, Bessette's Polestar teammate Katherine Legge
(#12 PKV Racing) is ready for her first racing action in Cleveland.
Despite struggling for most of the weekend in Portland, Legge ended the
doubleheader experience on a high note by coming from 10th place to
finish third in the second race of the weekend. Currently fourth in the
championship standings, Legge would like nothing better than to pair her
historic win at the season opener in Long Beach with another victory or
two this weekend at her team's home event.

German rookie Andreas Wirth (#8 Wurges Windows and Doors) is also one to
watch this weekend. The 20-year-old Brooks Associates Racing driver
earned his first pole and produced a pair of podium finishes in Portland
as he improved to fifth in the season standings. He also knows how to run
up front in Cleveland as he earned a second- and a fourth-place finish in
the 2004 Formula BMW USA doubleheader at the venue, en route to winning
the series championship.

With three consecutive top-six finishes in his first three events this
season, David Martinez (#7 Roshfrans/Aviacsa/RocaAcero/Multigama/Martiga)
of Mexico is also on a roll and he's another driver who's
familiar with the running at the airport course. Martinez finished fourth
at the Barber Dodge Pro race in 2003 and he'll try to use that
experience to his advantage this weekend competing for the US RaceTronics
team.

The Unser name has been synonymous with success in racing and especially
in Cleveland where Al Unser Jr. won twice in Champ Cars ('85 and
'94) and his father - Al Unser -- captured the second Grand
Prix of Cleveland event in 1983. The family legacy will continue this
weekend as Al Unser III (#10 BOSPoker.net) will make his first Atlantic
Cleveland start for the Brooks team. "Just Al" also ran in
the '03 Barber Dodge race so he does have some knowledge of the
track and after posting finishes of sixth and seventh at Portland in his
season debut last weekend, he's looks ready to break into the top
five.

One of the top American sports car racers, Chris Dyson (#16
Thetford/Norcold), returns to the Atlantic field this weekend. Dyson
raced in a pair of series events last season and he's coming off
two top-10 finishes in Portland as he continues to refine his open-wheel
racing skills.

The Toyota Atlantic Championship is happy to welcome one of the top young
open-wheel talents to its paddock this weekend as Leonardo Maia (#2
Konica Minolta) will make his series debut with the Jensen Motorsport
team. Maia captured the 2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series title and won from
the pole at Cleveland in the series that year. He hopes to compete in
several events this season with the Jensen team and is anxious to get off
to a good start in a place where he's enjoyed some success in the
past.

Three experienced racers who have not made an Atlantic start at Cleveland
will also be looking for strong results this weekend. Tom Nastasi (#23
USG Sheetrock/DeWalt Tools/Ramset Tools), who will be making the jump
from the C2 Atlantic category into the championship class this weekend,
will compete for Blackforest Motorsports. Dan Selznick (#49 The Room
Store) will run for The Room Store team while Bite Racing's Chris
Souliotis (#56 Speedway Motors) will also see his first Cleveland
Atlantic action.

Leading the race for the Yokohama Tire C2 Cup through four events, rookie
Justin Sofio (#15 RLM Investments) will be running in his first Cleveland
event and looking to extend his lead in the C2 class after posting his
second category win of the year last weekend. Owner/driver Dan Cobb (#9
Camelot Construction) is only four points behind Sofio in the C2
standings and he's hoping to emerge from Cleveland with the class
points lead.

Experienced Atlantic racer Bob Siska (#18 RJS Motorsports) has three
previous series starts at Cleveland to his credit and he will also be
running in C2 this weekend while rookies Daryl Leiske (#63 Speedway
Motors) and Rich Zober (#66 Zober Industries) will be racing in Cleveland
for the first time, also competing in the C2 class.

All of the Atlantic machines that will do battle on the Cleveland airport
course are Swift chassis powered by 240-horsepower Toyota 4A-GE engines
capable of speeds in excess of 165 mph. Each entry will ride on Yokohama
ADVAN Racing Slicks.

The twin-race schedule Atlantic schedule calls for the cars to practice
for the first time Friday afternoon at Burke Lakefront Airport from
12:45-1:15 p.m. ET. Qualifying for Race #1 will be held from 4:15-4:45
p.m. Friday. The Toyota engines will roar to life Saturday with
qualifying for Race #2 slated for 8:15-8:45 a.m., while the first race of
the weekend is scheduled for 32 laps (67.392 miles) and is set to begin
at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Sunday, the Atlantic cars will have
a morning warm-up session from 8:15-8:30 a.m. Race #2 of the weekend,
Round 6 of the Toyota Atlantic Championship, will get underway at 11 a.m.
Sunday morning and is also scheduled for 32 laps or 50 minutes.

SPEED Channel will provide tape-delayed television coverage of both races
from Cleveland on Saturday, July 9 beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The race will
also air to U.S. service men and women in 133 countries around the world
through the American Forces Radio & Television Service. For additional
information, visit the series' official web site,
www.toyotaatlantic.com